Cotton-picking machine.



GJ A. PEUSEF. COTOJ PIXCKING MACHINE. "APPUCATLON FILED JULY 6. 1912.

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MQ if i G, PRUSEH.' comm PlcKrNG MACHINE.

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APPLICATION FILE@ JULY 6, 191'2.

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CTON PICKING MACHINE.

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` COTTON-PICKING MACHINE.

Meanies.

T0 all whom 'it mag/concern.'

Be it known that l, GUs'rAy A. PnUsER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Winters, in the countyofRunnels and State Y of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton-Picking Machines, of whichthe' following is a specification, reference being hadf to theA accompanying drawings. f

This invention relates to an improvement in automatic cotton picking machines, and the primary object of the present invention isto provide a pair of picking drums which rotate in one direction relativev to the rows of cotton and which are provided with a 'plurality of picking fingers which, when coming in contact with the cotton, will Wind the same upon the fingers, but when coming within the discharge chamber, the lingers will be rotated in the opposite direction,

. thereby discharging the cotton within the chambers.

A further-object of the 4present invention is to rovide a device of this character with a main wheel frame to which the draft appliance is` applied and having slidablyA .mounted therein -a supplemental frame carrying the picking mechanism which may be raised and lowered in gathering the cotton.

@ther objects will appear hereinafter as the description continues.

With the above and other objects in view,

this invention consists generally of the wheeled frame having vertically sliding Within the'same, a supplemental frame carrying the picking mechanism which is operated through the instrumentality of the supporting wheels and chambers mounted within the supplemental frame for receiving the cotton after it has been picked by the picking mechanism which in turn will convey the same to a conveyer to be emptied in some suitable receptacle.

This. invention further consists of the novel details of construction, combination,

formation and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and particularly pointed out in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view with a portion of the casing broken away to show the mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same having a portion- -thereof broken away. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 1 is a longitudinally extending Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application led July 6, 1912. Serial No. 708,045.

section taken on the line 4 4: of Fig. 1. Flg. 5 1s a horizontal section taken on `the line 5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a vertical transillustrated by like numerals throughout the several views, the numeral 1 indicates the main U-shaped frame which is made preferably ofl angle iron and has extending there-4 from an auxiliary L-shaped frame 2 also made of angle iron, having one arm secured adjacent the upper end of one side of the main frame. The depending portions of each of the said frames are provided with horizontal extensions 8, one of which having secured thereto a stub axle 4, whereas the other two extensions are connected by means of an axle 5. Ground wheels 6 which support these frames are mounted upon the axles 4 and 5.

Hingedly secured to the transverse portion of the auxiliary bar 2 as at 7, is an angle bar 8 which has permanently secured to its outer extremitv the tongue 9 to which the draft attachment is applied for propelling the device over the field. A diagonally extending brace rod 10 connects the angle plate 8 with the tongue 9 and has mounted thereon a bearing block l1 which is in alinement with the bearing block 12 formed upon the tongue, for a purpose which will be hereinafter described.

rIhe main frame 1 is provided with a suitable guidc way 13 in 'which is slidably mounted a supplemental f rame 14. This supplemental frame comprises a rear por- Fig. 8 is a detail of diagonall extending brace rodsf19V extend also from t is portion of the frame 14 .adjacent the lowery extremity thereof and are similar tothe brace rods v%18,-jwhereas a pair of end rods extend lfrom the lower portion of the member 15 but are considerably longer barsl17, 18, 19 and 2O are braced: bysuitable vertically extending rods 22'and transversely extending -rods 23. To; provide means for raising and lower- 4ing the supplemental f frame, I pivotally mount upon theou'terface of the U-shaped n' frame 1 a'hand operating lever 25 and a bell crank 26 which-are connected to the supplemental frame by links 28. The bell crank 26 is connected -to the hand operating lever by means of a rod 27, whereby operation of the said lever will cause the supplemental frame .-to'be raised and lowered as desired.;

This hand-l operating lever 25 is provided with a spring actuated pawl vfor engaging a segmental rack formed upon a bracket 24A mounted uponA the upper face of the U- shaped frame, whereby the saidsupplemental 'frame 'may beheld in araised or lpw-v lered position as desired,

To provide fory tilting the forward end of the supplemental frame so thatA the gatherers 21 may be raisedand lowered, 'I

provide upon the tongue 9 a bracket 29 which'has fulcrumed thereto a lever 30, the lower extremity of this lever being connected to theextension 3 mounted upon the depending p ortion of the auxiliary frame by means of a link 31, so that-by operating this lever the main frame, uas well as the supplemental frame, may be tilted as the angle plate 8 is hingedly mounted upon vthe auxiliary frame A2, as before described. This lever 30 is also providedwitha spring actuated pawl adapted to engage the segmental rack mounted upon the bracket 29, whereby the forward end of the frame may be held in adjusting position, as desired.

Mounted within the bearings 11 and 12 is a -transversely extending shaft 32 whichhas mounted thereon a sprocket wheel 33 and which is connected to a sprocket wheel 34 mounted upon one of the ground wheels 6 by means of a sprocket chain 35, whereby when the device is being propelled over the field, the ground wheels will impart a rotary motion into the shaft 32, which is con' nected to thepicker mechanism for operat-l ingv the same. Mounted within thefbearings formed upon the side members 17 is a transversely extending shaft 36 which-'is connected to the shaft 32 by means of an auxiliary shaft 37, these shafts being connected by means of knuckle joints 38, so that the supcally extending shafts 39 ,Leach having mounted thereon a drum- 40. Each of these 'drums comprises a plurality of sections having mounted therein. picking ngers "41 which will be hereinafter more fully described. Permanently secured upon the upper face'of each of these .drums 40 is1a conical gear 42 which is operatively Vconnected-to the shaft 36 by means lof beveled gears 43, whereby as the shaft 36 is rotated it will also impart a rotary motion to the lsaid drums, thereby causing the same to operate in opposite directions relative to the rows of cotton. Journaled within bearings 44, secured upon the'members 17 and 18 of the vsupplemental frame is a shaft 45 which ex.-

tends' parallel with theshaft 36and -is oper- I atively connected thereto by means of a pinion v4 6'V'meshing with a gear 47 mounted upon oneend of the shaft 36. A pair of vertically extending shafts`48 is journaled within bearings' formed on the outer face ofthe diagonally extendingA members 18 and have mounted thereon series of brushes 49 comprising a plurality ofV radially directed blades having bristles 50 depending therefromLj 'I he upperend of each of these shafts is provided with al conical gearv 51 adapted to mesh withabeveledgear 52 secured .upon the 'shaftffi-This supplemental frame is partly inclosed with a pair 'of casings which are spaced apart to allow the cotton to pass between and each of which comprises a `semi-circular portion 53 which encircles the.

picking drums, a central portion`54 which covers the rotary brush and which terminates in a forward extension 55 in which an endless vconveyer is mounted, and each casing is covered by parallel upper and lower tops 54 and a bottom 55. are made preferably of sheet metal and are These casings secured to the-,brace members of the supplemental frame in. any preferred manner, or as shown. It is to be noted that the forward end of each casing is closed and that the rear end thereof is opened to allow the pickingfingers to come in contact with the cotton.l Adjacent the forward extremity of this frame is mounted a transversely extendving shaft 56 which is j ournaled within bearings 57 mounted within the forward end of the casing and have mounted on the extremities thereof pulleys 58 which carry endless belts 59 provided with outwardly directed conical cotton supporting studs 59. The upper shaft 56 is providedv with a sprocket wheel 60 connected with the sprocket wheel 61 mounted upon the shaft y through the casing 63A adjacent one end thereof and journaled within suitable bearings formed thereon is a shaft 67, ,one end of which is provided with a beveled 'gear 68 adapted to mesh with the beveled gear 69 mounted upon 'the shaft 56, whereas the op;

plosite end of the shaft 67 is provided with a sprocket wheel 70 which is connected with the sprocket wheel 66 by means of a sprocket chain 7l which provides obvious means vfor operating the endless belt 64. One extremity of this'casin 63 is provided with an exhaust opening r2 through which thecotton is emptied in any suitable receptacle, not shown. v

The picking fingers 41 encircle the periphery of each of the drums in a substantially circular line and each is journaled within its respective drum. The outer extremity of each of these picking fingers is 'serrated as at 73v which provides suitable gripping means togather'the cotton when the finger is being rotated, and the opposite extremity thereof has mounted thereon a pinion 74. Each of the shafts 39 has fixed thereon a plurality of circular rack bars having teeth formed upon the upperV face thereof which mesh with the teeth of the pinions 74, so that when the drums are rotated the picking ngers will also be rotated in one direction. It is apparent from this construction that as the drums rotate when they come in contact with the cotton the fingers will wind the same thereupon, which will carry the cotton to the discharge chain-y bers and to provide means for unwinding the cotton from the fingers when -they come in contact with the discharge chambers, I A

provide an inverted portion 76 of the rack bars 75, so that as the fingers come in contact with the inverted portions they will be rotated4 in an opposite direction,- thereby unwinding the cotton and as the-bristles 50 of the rotary brushes come in Contact with the fingers they will brush the cotton from the fingers and deposit the same in theforward portion of the chamber, from which it is then carried by the vertically extending endless conveyer 59, to the transversely extending conveyer 64, as described.- The pinions 74 are provided with smooth portions A7 7 which engage with th'e smooth track portion 7 8 of the rack gears 75, so that the fingers will be held in a stationary position during the time between the changes in direction of rotation of said fingers.

It is obvious from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that as the device is pro- -pelled over the field, the gatherers 21 will direct the rows of cotton between 'the rotating drums provided with picking ngers. The picking fingers will then gather the cotton as they come in contact with the sameA and when the drums are further rotated, the vfingers will be rotated in an opposite direction, thereby causing the same to drop the cotton within the discharge chambers and as the brushes rotate in a rapid speed, they will brush the cotton from the fingers against the endless belts 59 which. in turn will conveythe same up to the conveyer 64C,

lby means of' which it is conveyed to a receptacle as before described. It will be understood that the outwardly directed conical cotton supporting studs 59 catch and support the cotton against the endless belts 59 while the cotton is being elevated by said belts. l

It will be further apparent that an automatic cotton'picking machine of this character will be compact in the arrangement of parts, simple in operation and inexpensive in the cost of manufacture, and 1t 1s to' be understood that whereas -I have shown a specific embodiment of the present invention, other minor details as to changes in form and construction may be resorted to that come within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

-What I claim is 1'. In a cotton picking machine, the combination with a rotary drum, of al stationary circular rack mounted therein, said rack comprising a pair of-segments disposed in relatively different horizontal planes, the ends' of said segments overlapping each other and being connected together, fingers journaled Within said drum, pinions mounted on the inner ends of said fingers, the under face of the uppermost segment of the rack being .formed with teeth to engage tions of the drum, the upper face of the lower segment ofthe rack being provided with teethfor engagement with the pinions during the remainder of each revolution of los vthe pinions during a portion of the revoluthe drum, whereby said fingers will be ro.-

tated in reverse directionsupon each revolution of the drum, and the opposing faces of the overlapping portions of the segments being smooth whereby the fingers will be allowed to cease rotation in one direction before rotation in the opposite direction.

` 2. In acotton'picking machine, the combination with a rotary drum, of a stationary circular rack mounted therein,l said rack comprising a'pair of segments disposed in relatively different-'horizontal planes, the ends of the segments overlapping each other and being connected together, fingers journaled within the drum, pinions mounted on .mainder of each revolution of the drum,

portions on the pinions, the smooth portions whereby said fingers will be rotated in yreverse directions upon.each revolution of thedrum, the opposingfaces of the overlapping portions of the segments being smooth, and portions of diametrically opposed teeth 'of said pinions being cut away to form smooth on the pinions being adapted to engage between the smooth y,portions of the segments, whereby the pnions will'be held against r0- tation during the time between the changesin the direction of rotation thereof.

3. VA device of the classv described comprising a main frame, an axle projecting from saidsmain frame, wheels mounted upon said axle, an auxiliary frame suspended from the main frame, 'means for retaining Y ...MAA

the auxiliary frame in position, means for adjusting the auxiliary frame, drums mounted in the` auxiliary frame, shafts mounted in the auxiliary frame, picking fingers carried by the drums, brushespoarried by the shafts above the picking fingers .to unwind materiall from said picking fingers as the latter pass beneath thebrushes, means for operating the drums, meansl for operating -the shafts from the drum operating means, plant guide members, forwardly of the drums, means' for rotating said ngers independently ofthe drums, said guide members being hollow to formmaterial receiving' compartments, the lowermost compartment being adapted to receive the material un- I wound 'from the picking fingers, a transverse tube above the inner ends of the hollow guide members, means for conveying the material from the lowermost compartment to the transverse tube, and means within the transverse tube for conveying the material to one-open end thereofiand depositing said f material in a receptacle beneath said open- In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAV A. VPRSER kVVitnesses':

MARsHAn LETT, WILLIAM H. GAIN.' g 

